Have You Registered Your Local Parking Lot King or Queen,
Crack Head, Gang Banger, Prostitute, or Homeless Person to Vote Today?
By Jasmyne A.
Cannick
When I
drive around "da hood" I see the parking lot kings and queens reigning supreme, malt liquor in hand
hollering "nigga this" and "nigga that." I see us pushing carts up and down street, sleeping
on bus stops, cars rolling by with the booming system on 20-inch rims with tinted windows being driven by
grown ass men who are banging and still living at home with Mama.
You know, those of us who don't read a newspaper unless we're looking for a job or a place to rent. The
brothers and sisters who aren't tuning into to watch the debates. Who may know a brother is running for
President but couldn't tell you who Sarah Palin is and if you mentioned to them the market crashed today-would
repeat back to you "who'd you say ran into the corner market?" Call them what you want-ex-felons,
gangbangers, dope dealers, drop-outs, welfare recipients, homeless-but I call them unlikely voters.
Regardless of the separation of church and state-we got the churches on lock. We know our good church folks
are going to vote come November. We know that the elders in our community are going vote. Those of us at the tennis
courts and on the golf course-we got that.
But are we registering folks to vote in front of the liquor store, at the swapmeet, and in front of the fried
chicken shack? Don't laugh because you know that's real.
Are we reaching out to the sistas who even though they are selling their bodies to the highest bidder, are still a
part of our community and should be given the opportunity to vote if they choose to do so?
When was the last time you asked your local gangbanger to put down the bullets and to pick up a ballot on November 4?
You see I'm not worried about Black America's middle class-I am however worried about whether or not
we are truly reaching out to those in Black America who can't be reached via CNN, email, blog, or
newspaper. Those folks whom we might be a bit apprehensive about approaching but nevertheless, if
it's really about turning out the vote, we shouldn't be.
We can't overlook a critical part of our community because of our own issues with class or our own fears of
going into certain neighborhoods. We've got to talk to each other in the way that only brothas and sistas can. For
me, that means going into the projects and to the eastside of town. It means enlisting the help of the same rappers
whose lyrics I might take issue with but who I recognize have more sway with these potential voters than our
elected officials do-who are often seen as part of the problem…their problem.
It also means challenging Black America's middle class to reach back and do their part in making sure
that all of us who want to register to vote are registered. Taking Get Out the Vote rallies and events out of our
neighborhoods and into the hood-and for the record that's not Crenshaw-more like Compton Avenue.
Take a cup of coffee to the homeless man who sleeps outside in front of the churc
By Jasmy
Canni
When I
driveYou know,
Regar
But are we regis
Are we reach
When was the last time you asked
You see I'm not worri
We can't
It also means
Take a cup of coffe